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EAT

June 21: Father’s Day Crabs

Knotty Pine. 801 S Conkling St. 2-6 p.m.

What better way is there to celebrate dad this year than with some good old-fashioned Maryland crabs? This weekend, Knotty Pine will be selling crabs by the dozen and half dozen for the whole family to enjoy on Father’s Day. The Canton neighborhood pub will also be selling steamed corn and pounds of shrimp to round out the feast. And don’t forget to toast to Dad with a boozy Orange or Grapefruit Crush.

DRINK

June 19-20: Oliver Brewing Co. Triple Beer Release

Oliver Brewing Company. 4216 Shannon Dr.

This weekend, Oliver Brewing Company is dropping two new beers and bringing back its fan-favorite “This Floor is Snakes” double IPA. The brewers teamed up with their friends at Donut Shack in Severna Park to create “Chop Suey,” a blonde ale featuring apple cider, vanilla, and cinnamon that pairs perfectly with Donut Shack’s Chop Suey apple-cinnamon fritters. The “S’more or Less” imperial stout will have you ready for campfire season with hints of graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow. The new brews will be available for pickup on Friday, and on Saturday, guests can crack open their ice-cold cans while soaking up the sun in the outdoor area.

SEE

June 19: Juneteenth Double Feature

Times and prices vary.

Amid the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of George Floyd’s death, Juneteenth—the holiday commemorating African-American freedom and achievement—holds a strong significance this year. Among the many ways to honor the holiday is with this double feature screening by Charm City Classics. All you need is a Netflix account and the Netflix Party application to stream Roger Guenveur Smith’s one-man show, Rodney King, followed by 13th, a documentary analyzing the criminalization of African Americans. Head to their Facebook page shortly before the screening to join the watch party.

HEAR

June 20: World Refugee Day Benefit Concert

Facebook Live. 12-2 p.m. Free.

Join Creative Alliance in celebrating our refugee, asylee, and immigrant neighbors through live music. Local performers will take the virtual stage, and host and community arts liaison Ari Pluznik will interview refugee service providers to learn more about the crucial care they supply. Consider making a donation to help support Mera Kitchen Collective, which has been working tirelessly to serve free meals to communities in need throughout the pandemic. (Read more about Mera’s work in our July issue, on newsstands June 26.)

DO

June 19: Say Her Name: March for Black Women and Femme Survivors

The Ynot Lot. 1904 N Charles St. 4-7p.m.

On Juneteenth, head to the Ynot Lot in Station North to honor the life of Black Lives Matter activist Oluwatoyin Salau, who was tragically killed earlier this month at the age of 19. Local organizers with Black Womyn Rising, Not Without Black Women, and Amorous Ebony are all working together to create a space for Black women and femme survivors of sexual violence to unite and voice their demands.

Father’s Day is right around the corner, which means it’s time to show your favorite fella what he means to you. Ditch the standard dress shirt and tie (I mean seriously, how many ties can one person own?) and celebrate dad with a creative gift from some of our favorite local stores.

Under Armour Brand House
Whether your dad is a gym rat or a fashion fanatic who understands what the word “athleisure” means, you are sure to find something great from Baltimore’s claim to athletic wear fame. Our pick: UA Street Encounter III Shoes ($59.99) at Under Armour. 700 S President St., 410-528-5304

REI
This is THE one-stop shop for the dad whose ideal day is spent outdoors, meaning everything from trails and national parks, to hanging out in your backyard. Our pick: Eno DoubleNest Hammock ($69.95) at REI. 63 W Aylesbury Road, 410-252-5920

Capitol Mac
For the Apple product enthusiast, this is the place to go. Not only are they the only certified Apple specialists in Baltimore, but they sell phone accessories and do authorized repairs—looking at you Dad with the cracked phone screen. Our pick: 32 GB Apple TV ($149) at Capital Mac. 714 S Broadway, 410-657-8000

Earth Treks
Sometimes the best gifts are experiences. Share some climb time with your old man at this indoor climbing center with locations in Timonium, Columbia, and soon to be Hampden. Our pick: Three-month membership ($207) at Earth Treks. 1930 Greenspring Dr., 410-560-5665

Nepenthe Homebrew
For the pop who loves hops, Nepenthe Homebrew has the best gift options for you. This home-brew shop in Hampden has kits and ingredients for making beer, wine, and cheese in your very own home. Our pick: Brewers Best Equipment Kit ($83.95) at Nepenthe Homebrew. 3626 Falls Road, 443-438-4846

Atomic Books
What better way for dad to relax this Father’s Day than with a new book. This shop specializes in the newest releases, comics, graphic novels, and zines, plus has a great selection of games and art toys. Our pick: Ready Player One: A Novel ($16) at Atomic Books. 3620 Falls Road, 410-662-4444

The Sound Garden
For the cinephile or music nerd, The Sound Garden is like a mystical wonderland. Stocked wall to wall with new and used CDs, vinyl, DVDs, and Blu-rays, there are countless gift ideas to keep your dad’s collection current. Our pick: The Bob’s Burgers Music Album Box Set ($64.99) at The Sound Garden. 1616 Thames St.,410-563-9011

Williams-Sonoma
Turn your dad into the grill master with any of the great kits, rubs, or marinades from Williams-Sonoma. Not only is this a gift for dad, but it will be a gift to yourself if he shares. Our pick: Ultimate Burger Essentials ($43.95) at Williams-Sonoma. 70 Village Square, 410-435-6020

Ceremony Coffee
The selection at Ceremony is impressive even to the most devoted coffee drinker. Take advantage of their unique blends and workshops at their Mt. Vernon or Harbor Point locations. Our Pick: 12oz El Faldón ($22) at Ceremony Coffee. 1312 Point St., 410-601-3561

BABY BEATS
6/6. Center Plaza, 100 N. Charles St. 10:30 a.m. Free. Parents and kids can learn a new skill at this fast-paced beat-boxing workshop.

FISHING FUN DAY
6/10. Lake Roland, 1000 Lakeside Dr. 9:30 a.m. $5.
Learn how to bait a hook and catch a fish outside at Lake Roland. 

CELEBRATING AFRICAN-AMERICAN DADS

6/10. Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St. 12 p.m. Free-$8. This fete for African-American dads features live drumming, poetry readings, and collage crafts. 

DAD’S DAY 5K
6/11. Rash Field, 201 Key Hwy. 8 a.m. $5. Grab your father, family, and friends for this festive 5K to benefit local parks.

CREATURE FEATURES

6/17. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. 11 a.m. Free. Fathers, sons, and families can come together for a hands-on tour with activities at the museum. 

SATURDAY
MORNING TUNES
6/17. WTMD Studios, 1 Olympic Pl., Towson. 9 a.m. Free-$40. Bring the kids for weekend morning music by Barry Louis Polisar.

FATHER’S DAY COOKOUT
6/18. Cromwell Valley Park, 2002 Cromwell Bridge Road, Parkville. 1-3 p.m. $3-5. Enjoy hot dogs and cornhole with dad.

ORIOLES VS.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
6/16-18. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, 333 W. Camden St. Times & prices vary. Spend Father’s Day weekend with hot dogs, cold beers, and the O’s at Camden Yards.

SCHOLA FATHER’S
DAY DINNER
6/18. Schola, 1005 N. Charles St. 5 p.m. $69. Treat dad to dinner with this hands-on cooking class full of confit duck, juicy filet, and s’mores bread pudding.

CHEF

6/18. Enoch Pratt Free Library, 6310 Reisterstown Road. 5:30 p.m. Free. Catch this funny film about an out-of-work chef who opens a food truck and reconnects with his son.

MOUNT CLARE
FATHER’S DAY
6/18. Mount Clare Museum House, 1500 Washington Blvd. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free- $8. Bring your father figure for special admission, war reenactors, and lessons on 18th-century weaponry.

THE CRAWDADDIES
6/18. Ladew Topiary Gardens, 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton. 6 p.m. Free-$15. Celebrate Father’s Day with live music that combines zydeco, blues, and ska influences. 

Knock Knock Crap To Do Pad ($9) at Su Casa.

Very Embarrassing Book of Dad Jokes: Because Your Dad Thinks He is Hilarious By Ian Allen ($13.95) at Atomic Books.

Settler of Catan Game ($39.99) at Atomic Books.

The Chef: The
house always smells amazing at dinnertime and you desperately can’t wait for
the next holiday because this dad is the king of the kitchen. Enjoying his
company, as well as his cuisine, is enough to make you
almost want to move back home (keyword: almost).

Williams-Sonoma BBQ Tool Set ($99.95) at Williams-Sonoma.

The Ultimate Grilling Rub Collection ($19.57) at Williams-Sonoma.

Field Guide to Meat: How to Identify, Select, and Prepare Virtually Every Meat, Poultry, and Game Cut By Aliza Green ($15.95) at Atomic Books.

The Hip Dad: The
newest dad on the scene is making fatherhood look good. He may even have the
new Tame Impala album before you get your hands on it. Not to worry though, hip
dad will love these equally as hip gift items to keep him ahead of the curve.

Gilman Bros. Silk Knit Tie ($109) at The QG.

W&P Mason Stones, Set of 6 ($11.99) at Williams-Sonoma.

British Belt Company Oxburgh Satchel ($299) at The QG

The Sports Fanatic: He
was the loudest dad at your little league games. Whether perfecting your swing
or cheering you on, he is your biggest fan. Now it’s time to treat him. This
sports-loving dad will love these gift items—just don’t talk to him when the
game is on.

Baltimore Orioles: 60 Years Hardcover Book By Jim Hennemen ($50) at the Orioles team store at Camden Yards or shopmlb.com.

Rotenier Baseball and Bat Cufflinks ($250) at The QG.

Raven’s Football Cutting Board ($34) at Su Casa.

The life of an elite chef spans far beyond all of the slicing, dicing, frying, and expediting that goes on behind the scenes at our favorite restaurants. With Father’s Day just around the corner, we talked to some of the city’s top culinary talent about what life is like away from the heat of the kitchen. These guys wear many different hats. They’re mentors, managers, and undoubtable food experts, but first and foremost, they are dads.

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PIZZA PROTÉGÉ

As a father of three and the executive chef of one of Hampden’s hottest haunts, Chad Gauss often has his work cut out for him.

“One thing I’ve learned is that I’m always where it’s most important to be,” says Gauss, executive chef and co-owner of The Food Market. “If everything at the restaurant’s going fine, I’m going to be at dance for my daughter’s recital.”

From baking cakes in the kitchen at home to embarking on RV road trips, Gauss says that quality time with his children—Chad, 12, Zoey, 6, and Maisy, 3—is key.

“We always go places together as a family,” he says. “I don’t really go anywhere my kids aren’t welcome.”

Although according to Gauss all of his kids have diverse tastes, with favorites like seaweed and miso soup, his daughter Zoey has the most sophisticated palate of them all: “I mean, she wakes up in the morning and says ‘I want duck,’ she’s a huge eater.”

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to the oldest, ‘Little Chad.’ Often tasked with cleaning local produce and shucking corn during frequent visits to The Food Market, the 12-year-old has even found his inner restaurant critic.

“One thing my son and I like to do together is we rate pizzas,” he says. “We go around and we rate local pizza shops and we base them off of Matthew’s Pizza.”

Gauss says being a chef and a dad keeps him youthful.

“I’ve matured in responsibility, but not at all in personality, so it really allows me to enjoy my job,” he says. “And I think it’s awesome that my kids have a dad that gets to be himself all of the time. I don’t have to be a different guy when I come to work.”

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OYSTER OVERLOAD

Well-known for his barbecue shrimp and grits and other signature brunch creations, Water for Chocolate owner and executive chef Sean Guy is a hangover hero in Upper Fells Point.

But aside from all of the accolades, his motto remains that he’s a dad first and a chef second.

His children, Taylor, 15, and Noah, 8, are all about chowing down on the goat cheese mac at Water for Chocolate, which is back up and running after suffering a fire in March, but he says that they’re not so big on the idea of global cuisine.

“We have a thing where we try to go to a different restaurant every other Sunday, and I always try to take them somewhere where they can try and appreciate a different cuisine, but Noah’s the guy that will spit it in his napkin and then go in the bathroom and fill his pockets with the mints, he really doesn’t care,” Guy says. “Taylor is really beginning to appreciate food a lot more. She had her first oyster already at The Oceanaire, and I wish I had a picture of the look on her face. It was like betrayal, like ‘Dad, how could you do this to me?’ I almost cried. But her palate is a little more developed than Noah’s.”

In order to spend as much time together as possible, Guy feels lucky to be able to structure the restaurant’s hours around his children’s schedules.

“During the week we’re open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., so after 7 I’m doing homework, and opening at 10 a.m. gives me a chance to take them to school,” he says.

In between studying theatre at Baltimore School for the Arts and participating in Habitat for Humanity projects, Taylor squeezes in time to work at the restaurant as a hostess on weekends. Noah has recently started to break into the family business, as well.

“He’s been rolling silverware and starting to get involved, but he overcharges me; he’s trying to get fifty cents per roll, which is crazy,” Guy says.

Although it doesn’t always work out as planned, attempting to diversify his children’s culinary interests is one of Guy’s favorite hobbies.

“More so than cooking for them, I like going out to different restaurants with them so they can learn the sense of service to try different things.” he says.

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LITTLE LEARNERS

As the executive chef of Foreman Wolf hotspots Cinghiale and Pazo, Julian Marucci is no stranger to hard work—a value that he’s passing on to his oldest son, Luca, 4.

“Whether I’m in the kitchen or doing yard work, he always likes to lend a helping hand,” Marucci says. “We can sit outside and I can give him a bag of corn and he’ll just shuck the whole bag. Or I can give him a bag of cranberry beans and he’ll peel them all for dinner.”

The Marucci brood also includes Mia, 2, and baby Nico, 3 months. As they grow older, the chef feels it’s important to educate his children about how their food makes its way onto their plates.

“At Thanksgiving this past year, I got a turkey from a local farm with the head and feet on. The kids came into the kitchen and when I opened the oven to baste the turkey they saw the head, and they all started flipping out and giggling,” he shares. “I want to introduce these things to my kids so that they know where [our food] is from.”

Although bouncing back and forth between the two restaurants five days per week takes up the bulk of Marucci’s time, he looks forward to devoting his days off to tee-ball games, making Sunday dinner, and gardening with the kids.

“We’ll go out in the garden and pick herbs, or ‘seasonings’ as we call them, and then I try to explain that those green flakes and specs in our tomato sauce or whatever we’re making are the same herbs from our garden,” he says.

Looking ahead, Marucci is excited for his kids to eventually grow into little sous chefs.

“I can definitely see them coming in and helping with cleaning vegetables, picking filo beans, and picking peas,” he says. “And teaching them how to use a knife properly, that’s something I’m looking forward to.”

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PRE-SCHOOL PLANS

Despite a nine-restaurant franchise and buzz-worthy Top Chef success, Bryan Voltaggio is the quintessential family man.

Although meal requests from his children Thacher, 8, Piper, 3, and Ever, 1, often vary, Voltaggio says that one factor always remains constant.

“With the kids, I find that their favorite dishes are the ones that involve time with dad, so it’s more about the entire experience,” he says.

When it comes to Thacher, the self-proclaimed picky eater of the bunch, Voltaggio says that experimenting in the kitchen inspires him to “grab new things and put ingredients together in the moment.”(Which explains Thacher’s Coca-Cola potatoes recipe published in Voltaggio’s cookbook Home.)

“He’s certainly not sitting down and eating roasted sea bass with cranberries, that’s just not where he is at this point, but whenever you get hands-on is when it gets fun,” he says.

While the restaurateur’s 60-hour workweek often presents obstacles that stand in the way of family time, the Voltaggios always find a way to make it work.

“Breakfast is an important time for us, it’s the one meal of the day that we all share religiously,” he says. “Sometimes I need to sneak out of Friday night service to get to baseball for an hour, but then I just sneak back in before anybody notices I’m gone.”

He says that being able to use his restaurants as an educational outlet for his children is an added perk, as well.

“If you give a kid a mixing bowl they can go for hours. I think there are a lot of life lessons there, too,” Voltaggio says. “Measuring ingredients becomes fun for them, and they can take the things they’re learning in school and put them into practice.”

While it may seem that the Voltaggio kids are preordained for careers in the kitchen, the chef says he’s hesitant about how much he pushes the restaurants on them.

“As much as I want them to love what I do, I definitely don’t want to force it upon them because I never want them to feel that this is the profession that they have to choose,” he says. “Although, Piper at her preschool graduation, did say that she wanted to be a cook when she grows up.”